The sights of exploding bombs, Army tanks, burnt down buildings, and gun shots, grimly remind people that they are in a War Zone. A group of academics and historians compiled this startling information: Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed.
For many of us war is not a new concept. According to this article the world has been literally at war since 3600 B.C but another war has been going on since the creation of the world that is Spiritual warfare. The Argentinean Evangelist Ed Silvoso says, “The Church in the West today presents too easy a target for Satan. We do not believe we are at war. We do not know where the battleground is located, and, in spite of our weapons, they are neither loaded nor aimed at the right target. We are unaware of how vulnerable we are.”
Though we may not visibly see the exact location of where this Spiritual warfare is taking place, the fact is that we are indeed in a Spiritual War Zone. Paul compares Spiritual warfare to a wrestling match in Ephesians 6th chapter. Like wrestling, spiritual warfare is constant and the battle is absolutely constant. When I say the battle is constant, it does not mean that we must struggle to maintain which God has done. We don’t need to struggle to achieve salvation. The grace of God has placed us in that position. We stand, not for our salvation but because of it. Let’s look at the strength of the enemy, his impact in the world and his three battle grounds.
I. THE STRENGTH OF SATAN:
How often do we think about angels fighting? Until the publishing of Frank Peretti’s book, “This Present Darkness” in 1986 many did not consider the Biblical reality of angels and demons. Even now many Christians do not consider it at all. Daniel 10 gives us a peek into the cosmic unseen realm. Daniel fasted and prayed for twenty one days. Many of us would give up after praying for twenty minutes. As a result of his prayer God sent an angel, “Daniel 10:12-13 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel.” Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” Later the angel says, “But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia.” Vs 20.
In the story of Daniel we see how evil forces can oppose God’s angels. Let’s not under estimate the power of Satan. Jesus often delivered people who were possessed by demons by a simple rebuke. The freeing of the demoniac gives us a glimpse into the power of Satan. Mark 5:1-5 “When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” The strength and the power of this man was unusual no wonder he was controlled by over 2000 demons. With one command Jesus freed the demoniac. Another hilarious incident explains the power of the evil spirit.
We read in Acts 19:14-16 “Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were driving out demons by using Jesus’ name. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Pretty embarrassing’ right? That shows the power of the evil spirits. Don’t play with evil spirits.
The Bible refers to Satan and his power a lot does it mean it is giving too much prominence and publicity to the devil? I have been sharing for the past three weeks on this subject matter as well. Why do I do that? As I have mentioned earlier, most spiritual warfare is won in our awareness of the work of the enemy.
Let’s be aware of the enemy; but be impressed by our God and His power!
II. HOW IS SATAN AT WORK IN THE WORLD TODAY?
Think of the most grotesque and evil things people do to one another. Think of the 9/11 terrorist attacks where 2,976 innocent people were killed. In 2008 Mumbai attacks, nearly 200 people were killed and 300 were wounded. Think of all the violence, crime, and wars, the killing of innocent babies, broken marriages and families, and other devastations in the world. Does this make you wonder who could be behind all this tragedy? Dean Sherman the author of Spiritual warfare writes, “We recoil in horror from these terrible things that men do to one another. For the most part, we are sheltered from the terror of these realities. But these things have all been spawned by our enemy. Satan is far worse than anything real or imagined.”
Satan seems to be having the control over the world. He is publicly worshipped. Many are being deceived by listening to his lies, and blindly following him. There are Satanic Churches and there even is a Satanic Bible. How does one gets into the grip of Satan? It is through disobedience to God and willing exposure to satanic activities. Satan intends to destroy our minds, bodies, character, reputation and our relationships. The Bible warns us against certain evil practices. In Deut 18:10-12, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead, For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
Why should Christians avoid these abominable practices? Because, when we consult a supernatural source for understanding we open up ourselves to the powers of darkness. God wants us to consult him when we need understanding. He wants us to ask him for wisdom. According to Dean Sherman,“the growth and widespread acceptance of the occult has been increased in the recent decades.” The other day I went to the RITE AIDE store to pick up some medicines while checking out, my eyes fell on a glittering gold color horoscope book titled “Know your future 2010 by reading your Stars” Hm! Here I’ve been fasting and praying to sense God’s direction for me, my family and the Church in 2010, how easy it would be to just flip through something like that?
Unfortunately every morning over coffee, millions flip to the horoscope section of the daily news paper to find out what their day will be like. If you have more money, you can even hire a personal psychic who could predict your future. Undoubtedly these days Satan is targeting Christian homes and families with an intention to destroy them. As parents we have an awesome responsibility to bring up our Children in the ways of God. Parents let’s be careful on what we let our children read, listen, watch and play with. For example, tarot cards, Ouija boards, Dungeons and Dragons games, certain comic books with demonic characters, palm reading, certain computer and video games, music and so on. Like any other sin all these, usually start out as innocent fun and exploration, but what people don’t realize is that they get caught in a web of evil powers that can ruin their lives. What are some of the prime targets of the enemy? Let’s look at the three battle grounds.
III. THE THREE BATTLE GROUNDS:
Coming back to my war analogy in the beginning, in any war strategic areas such as Bridges, Roads, Airfields, Television, Radio Station, and Telecommunication are highly protected from the enemy. There will be intense and heightened security around these targets. Whoever will hold these key places can eventually win the battle. In the same way in spiritual warfare the enemy likes to target three main areas in a believer’s life. 1. The mind 2. The heart. 3. The mouth. If he could get hold of these three areas he can destroy your life.
A. THE MIND: THE FIRST STRATEGIC AREA
Every thought that enters our mind has three possible sources. Firstly, God has created us with a unique ability to think our own thoughts independent of any other source, these are our thoughts. Secondly God can speak into our minds, while praying, reading the scriptures or listening to a sermon or listening to wise council. Thirdly, the forces of darkness also speak to us. Unfortunately, many Christians listen to the enemy, are influenced by him and suffer the consequences. Why is the mind the first strategic target? Because everything begins in our minds. Most spiritual warfare takes place in our minds. The more we listen, and believe the lies of the enemy in our minds the more we behave like. What we think is often what we tend to believe.
There were times I needed to catch myself from thinking negative and critical thoughts of other leaders and ministries. Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10). He takes delight in filling our minds with accusations against our husbands or wives, our leaders, our friends, or people from a particular country or city or against God himself. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”(NASB).
Two mental strongholds are extremely common today among Christians and non Christians a like: thoughts of inferiority and thoughts of condemnation. Inferiority thoughts constantly tell us, “you are not tall enough” “you are not beautiful” “you are not smart enough” “you are not really making it in life” “No body loves you” In my own life I struggled with these thoughts and also ministered to many people who have entertained such thoughts. For some Satan brings thoughts of condemnation saying, “You are not pleasing to God, you are not spiritual enough, you are not reading your Bible enough, not praying enough, you are not close to God. These thoughts make us feel like we could never experience God’s fullness in our lives.
Some Christians live constantly with thoughts of inferiority and condemnation. Through spiritual warfare we must pull down these two strongholds. How can we do that? It is possible by renewing our minds or replacing the lies of the enemy with the truth from the scriptures. The truth of the matter is “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”(Romans 8:1)
B. THE HEART: THE SECOND STRATEGIC BATTLE GROUND:
We are called to watch our hearts with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23). When the Bible refers to “the heart” it may mean many things. In regards to spiritual warfare, I am taking two of the Bible meanings – the attitudes and the emotions. We know the utmost importance of the head and the heart in our body. In a battle if a soldier looses a leg or a hand can still survive but a wound to the head or heart can bring fatal.
We Christians are good at dealing with sins of actions but we seldom pay attention to what goes on in our heart, our attitude and emotions. Great many number of books out there in the market dealing with the subject “Attitude” Jeff Keller wrote a book titled “Attitude is everything: “Change your attitude and Change your life” secular people understand the importance of having the right attitudes. We can do and say the right thing but if our attitude is bad nothing we do or say pleases God. We should be just as responsible when it comes to dealing with wrong attitudes. Putting on the old self and putting on the new self (Eph 4:22-24) means taking daily responsibility to deal with our wrong attitudes.
How about dealing with our emotions like anger, harboring bitterness in our hearts. Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give a foot hold to the devil. Why is it important to check our anger quickly, when we remain angry for a long time we will give entry to the devil; If we give him one foot he will come in ten feet into our hearts. Bitterness is another thing that can destroy lives. Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” It is our responsibility to get rid off anger and bitterness, Ephesians 4:31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Please don’t remain angry and bitter and miss out on God’s grace.
C. THE MOUTH: THE THIRD STRATEGIC TARGET
So often we who are supposed to be encouragers of the brethren and proclaimers of truth allow our mouths to become tools of destruction in the hands of the devil. In the name of freedom of speech we talk any and everything that comes to our mind; we justify it saying “this is my opinion.” Even Christians at times let unwholesome talk come out of their mouths without blinking an eye. What does the bible say about our words and our tongue?
Ephesians 4:29-31 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Much can be said on our speech; I will keep that for another time.
How could we have the victory over our mouth? Firstly, by repenting of our loose talk, secondly, by asking God to give his fear over our mouth thirdly, asking God to shut our mouths like David did, Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. So far we have learned that we are in a spiritual warfare, the warfare is consistent, our enemy is indeed strong and powerful, he is causing havoc in the world, he attacks us in our mind, heart and mouth. Let’s guard these three crucial battle grounds of the enemy.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
KNOWING YOUR ENEMY(Regaining Spiritual Power)
We are in the thick of the Basket ball season. After a brief bump in the road, where our Celtics lost three of four games in mid-November, all seems to be right again in Boston. The Celts are riding high with a five-game win streak. To ensure his team’s victory any good coach understands that knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his own team is only half the game; knowing and understanding the opponents personnel is the other half. Basket ball strategist Clint Adkins says, “Learning about the opponent is best accomplished by scouting, which includes going to opponents games, watching tapes of them play and looking for players statistics.”
Scouting is not only used in basket ball games but also in military combating. This is not a new thing; it was used a long time ago by military strategist Moses when he dispatched the first CIA (Canaan Investigation Agency) ever. He sent out twelve spies with specific instructions to investigate the land of Canaan: “See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they un-walled or fortified?”(Numbers 13: 18-20)
In my previous message I have shared that whether we like it or not, whether we are prepared or not we have an enemy to fight and a war to win. This is unlike any other warfare; this is Spiritual Warfare. The enemy we are dealing with is much smarter, more powerful and wiser than we think and above all he is vicious and wickedly harmful. He has a bagful of schemes and plans to deceive and possibly destroy God’s people. As a good spiritual coach and a caring pastor I do not want any one of us to be as gullible and ignorant as to succumb to his tactics.
How can we fight the enemy on a daily basis? How can we become victorious in our battles? At the end of every famous GI Joe episode, the network would play on the famous GI Joe Public Service announcement it would always go something like this: The Kids would say "Thanks now we know. G.I. Joe Soldier would respond saying "knowing is half the battle!" in the same way knowing about the origin, the nature, strengths, limitations, his battle strategies and the destiny of our enemy is half the battle. So let’s explore.
I. THE ORIGIN OF SATAN
All Bible believing Christians acknowledge the reality of Satan or the Devil. I Peter 5:8, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil.” The word Satan both in Hebrew& Greek means adversary, the accuser, the superhuman figure, the enemy of God and his people. Has Satan always existed like God or has been created at one point? What does the Bible say about his origin? Though we don’t read much about how he was created; nonetheless he was a created being like everything else.Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” All things; yes including Satan was created by God.
II. THE FALL OF SATAN:
When we think of Satan or the Devil we imagine a shady character in dark clothes, with two horns on his head, two wings, long tail, with a pitch fork in hand terrorizing people. Neither does he walk around with a red band on his forehead which says “SATAN.” When God created Satan was he as ugly and bad as Hollywood and cartoonists tend to project? No! Like everything else that God created he was a good Cherub (angel); God anointed him and placed him as a guardian cherub. “He was the model of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12).
He was blameless until wickedness was found in him. In other words until Satan sinned. What was his wickedness? What caused Satan to loose his position of being the guardian worshipping angel? The scripture says, that his heart became proud because of his beauty and wisdom, he exalted himself above God. Therefore God drove him in disgrace from the mountain of God to the earth.( Ezekiel 28:16,17) along with him he brought a third of angels who later became his followers, (Rev 12:4). He’s now along with his evil forces fighting for control of the world and the souls of humans. Pride became the downfall of SATAN.
What does the Bible have to say about Pride?
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.
At times we take pride in our achievements, and accomplishments, thinking that it was all because of us. But we fail to give the glory back to God who enables us to accomplish things.
May we learn from this call for National humiliation and Fasting & Prayer day by Abraham Lincoln on April 30th 1863.
Excerpts from that proclamation: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”
While much can be said about pride, here we have an example in Abraham Lincoln who was humble enough to call the nation back to acknowledge their sin of pride and ask God for his mercy and forgiveness.
III. THE NATURE OF SATAN:
The Bible doesn’t keep silent when it comes to exposing Satan. There are number of names mentioned for Satan in the Bible which give us a glimpse into the nature of Satan.
Accuser (Rev 12:10),
Beelzebub (Mt 12:24)
Devil (Mt 4:1)
God of this age (2 Co 4:4)
Murderer (John 8:44)
Prince of Demons (Mt 12:24)
Prince of the kingdom of the Air (Eph 2:2)
Prince of this world (John 14:30)
Ruler of darkness (Eph 6:12) Serpent (Gen 3:4) Tempter Mt 4:3) Unclean Spirit (Mt 12:43) Evil one Mt 13:19)
Jesus further revealed the nature of Satan by saying, John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 8:44 “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan has been a liar, murderer and deceiver from the beginning. Satan deceived Eve by causing her to question the goodness, love and motives of God. Did God really say? You must not eat from any fruit from any tree in the Garden? In other words has God placed any restrictions? He created a doubt in the mind of Eve, to further strengthen that doubt he told her a half truth, “You will not surely die” your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil.” Nancy Leigh Demos the author of “Lies Women Believe” says, “Eve had listened to that lie, believed that lie, and acted on that lie. Every problem, every war, every wound, every broken relationship, every heartache—it all goes back to one simple lie.”
Sin always begins with a doubt and followed with a lie. For example having an affair and committing adultery, when the Bible says “You shall not commit adultery” you doubt the good intentions of God in a committed relationship to one spouse. You will believe a lie which says, no one will notice your affair, your wife is not hear, by they way cheating on wives is a common thing these days, in fact it makes you more of a human like some one said in the recent celebrity cheating case of Tiger Wood. Be careful your sin can always catch up with you; sooner than latter. The enemy is a deceiver from the beginning. To deceive means “To cause to believe what is not true; to mislead.” Many ads on the TV and magazines can be misleading. Our culture is steeped in deception. It is everywhere. Many of us have been sorely disappointed rather deceived by certain ads either on the TV, Billboards or magazines. Don’t be deceived, everything that glitters is not gold.
Satan is deceiving millions with half baked truths. Leigh Demos deals with 40 lies that women tend to believe, “I am not worth anything, I need to learn to love myself, I can’t help the way I am, Physical beauty matters more than inner beauty, I can sin and get away with it, I have to have a husband to be happy, My husband is supposed to serve me, If I submit to my husband I will be miserable, Sometimes divorce is a better option than staying in a bad marriage.”
How about men? Are they any better? No they too believe lies. What are the lies that men believe? The following list is taken from a blog article. It may not be true with all men but it gives us an idea of the lies we men tend to believe:
No one will find out. I won’t be caught viewing pornography The consequences won’t be that bad.
I don’t need other people. No one else faces the same temptations I do.
More money and possessions will make me more happy.
I can’t help who I am. I could never do anything great for God.
The best way to provide for my family is to work, work, and work.
Its uncool to be humble, ask forgiveness, seek help.
Its uncool to be kind, considerate, and show grace.
A little time in church on Sunday is enough.
God has nothing to do with my work and hobbies.
My marriage is never going to be great.
If my wife is unresponsive its okay to look elsewhere for what I need.
Its impossible to relate to my wife.
Little sins are okay – everyone does them.
Church is for wimps. God is not able.”
May be there are other lies you believe that are not included in this list. How about the lies young people believe? It is cool to be a rebel, quit school; it is for wimps, Pre marital sex is great; every one is doing, it better prepares you for marriage, For boys: if you drive a cool car, girls will fall for you. For girls: if you wear sexy and revealing clothes you become popular. Life is short so enjoy everything now.
Unfortunately even in Christian circles lies are rampant. According to Leigh Demos, “Tune into many religious radio and television broadcasts, listen to many popular Christian mental health professionals, and you will find respected Christian leaders who are deceiving their followers. They promise God’s blessing and grace to people who do not qualify because of their willful disobedience and unrepentant hearts. Through their teaching help people justify:
Anger (“healthy expression of your true feelings”)
Selfishness (“You’ve got to place boundaries between you and demanding people)
Irresponsibility (“you are dysfunctional because you have been deeply wounded by others) and infidelity (“You are free to divorce your mate and marry some one else; God is the God of the Second Chance). At the same time through their teaching, they make the righteous “feel” sad or guilty: For taking personal responsibility (“You are codependent”)
For demonstrating a servant’s heart (“you shouldn’t let others take advantage of you) and for being faithful to their vows (“God doesn’t expect you to stay in that marriage.”)
From the beginning, the enemy has tried to make right look wrong and the wrong look right. How can we encounter the lies of the enemy? Jesus gave a principle to follow in combating the lies that the enemy bring to your mind. John 8:31-32, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It is only by holding on to the teachings of Christ, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free from the bondage of Sin. We looked at the origin, the fall, the names and the nature of the enemy. Knowing our enemy is half the battle.
.
Scouting is not only used in basket ball games but also in military combating. This is not a new thing; it was used a long time ago by military strategist Moses when he dispatched the first CIA (Canaan Investigation Agency) ever. He sent out twelve spies with specific instructions to investigate the land of Canaan: “See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they un-walled or fortified?”(Numbers 13: 18-20)
In my previous message I have shared that whether we like it or not, whether we are prepared or not we have an enemy to fight and a war to win. This is unlike any other warfare; this is Spiritual Warfare. The enemy we are dealing with is much smarter, more powerful and wiser than we think and above all he is vicious and wickedly harmful. He has a bagful of schemes and plans to deceive and possibly destroy God’s people. As a good spiritual coach and a caring pastor I do not want any one of us to be as gullible and ignorant as to succumb to his tactics.
How can we fight the enemy on a daily basis? How can we become victorious in our battles? At the end of every famous GI Joe episode, the network would play on the famous GI Joe Public Service announcement it would always go something like this: The Kids would say "Thanks now we know. G.I. Joe Soldier would respond saying "knowing is half the battle!" in the same way knowing about the origin, the nature, strengths, limitations, his battle strategies and the destiny of our enemy is half the battle. So let’s explore.
I. THE ORIGIN OF SATAN
All Bible believing Christians acknowledge the reality of Satan or the Devil. I Peter 5:8, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil.” The word Satan both in Hebrew& Greek means adversary, the accuser, the superhuman figure, the enemy of God and his people. Has Satan always existed like God or has been created at one point? What does the Bible say about his origin? Though we don’t read much about how he was created; nonetheless he was a created being like everything else.Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” All things; yes including Satan was created by God.
II. THE FALL OF SATAN:
When we think of Satan or the Devil we imagine a shady character in dark clothes, with two horns on his head, two wings, long tail, with a pitch fork in hand terrorizing people. Neither does he walk around with a red band on his forehead which says “SATAN.” When God created Satan was he as ugly and bad as Hollywood and cartoonists tend to project? No! Like everything else that God created he was a good Cherub (angel); God anointed him and placed him as a guardian cherub. “He was the model of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12).
He was blameless until wickedness was found in him. In other words until Satan sinned. What was his wickedness? What caused Satan to loose his position of being the guardian worshipping angel? The scripture says, that his heart became proud because of his beauty and wisdom, he exalted himself above God. Therefore God drove him in disgrace from the mountain of God to the earth.( Ezekiel 28:16,17) along with him he brought a third of angels who later became his followers, (Rev 12:4). He’s now along with his evil forces fighting for control of the world and the souls of humans. Pride became the downfall of SATAN.
What does the Bible have to say about Pride?
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.
At times we take pride in our achievements, and accomplishments, thinking that it was all because of us. But we fail to give the glory back to God who enables us to accomplish things.
May we learn from this call for National humiliation and Fasting & Prayer day by Abraham Lincoln on April 30th 1863.
Excerpts from that proclamation: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”
While much can be said about pride, here we have an example in Abraham Lincoln who was humble enough to call the nation back to acknowledge their sin of pride and ask God for his mercy and forgiveness.
III. THE NATURE OF SATAN:
The Bible doesn’t keep silent when it comes to exposing Satan. There are number of names mentioned for Satan in the Bible which give us a glimpse into the nature of Satan.
Accuser (Rev 12:10),
Beelzebub (Mt 12:24)
Devil (Mt 4:1)
God of this age (2 Co 4:4)
Murderer (John 8:44)
Prince of Demons (Mt 12:24)
Prince of the kingdom of the Air (Eph 2:2)
Prince of this world (John 14:30)
Ruler of darkness (Eph 6:12) Serpent (Gen 3:4) Tempter Mt 4:3) Unclean Spirit (Mt 12:43) Evil one Mt 13:19)
Jesus further revealed the nature of Satan by saying, John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 8:44 “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan has been a liar, murderer and deceiver from the beginning. Satan deceived Eve by causing her to question the goodness, love and motives of God. Did God really say? You must not eat from any fruit from any tree in the Garden? In other words has God placed any restrictions? He created a doubt in the mind of Eve, to further strengthen that doubt he told her a half truth, “You will not surely die” your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil.” Nancy Leigh Demos the author of “Lies Women Believe” says, “Eve had listened to that lie, believed that lie, and acted on that lie. Every problem, every war, every wound, every broken relationship, every heartache—it all goes back to one simple lie.”
Sin always begins with a doubt and followed with a lie. For example having an affair and committing adultery, when the Bible says “You shall not commit adultery” you doubt the good intentions of God in a committed relationship to one spouse. You will believe a lie which says, no one will notice your affair, your wife is not hear, by they way cheating on wives is a common thing these days, in fact it makes you more of a human like some one said in the recent celebrity cheating case of Tiger Wood. Be careful your sin can always catch up with you; sooner than latter. The enemy is a deceiver from the beginning. To deceive means “To cause to believe what is not true; to mislead.” Many ads on the TV and magazines can be misleading. Our culture is steeped in deception. It is everywhere. Many of us have been sorely disappointed rather deceived by certain ads either on the TV, Billboards or magazines. Don’t be deceived, everything that glitters is not gold.
Satan is deceiving millions with half baked truths. Leigh Demos deals with 40 lies that women tend to believe, “I am not worth anything, I need to learn to love myself, I can’t help the way I am, Physical beauty matters more than inner beauty, I can sin and get away with it, I have to have a husband to be happy, My husband is supposed to serve me, If I submit to my husband I will be miserable, Sometimes divorce is a better option than staying in a bad marriage.”
How about men? Are they any better? No they too believe lies. What are the lies that men believe? The following list is taken from a blog article. It may not be true with all men but it gives us an idea of the lies we men tend to believe:
No one will find out. I won’t be caught viewing pornography The consequences won’t be that bad.
I don’t need other people. No one else faces the same temptations I do.
More money and possessions will make me more happy.
I can’t help who I am. I could never do anything great for God.
The best way to provide for my family is to work, work, and work.
Its uncool to be humble, ask forgiveness, seek help.
Its uncool to be kind, considerate, and show grace.
A little time in church on Sunday is enough.
God has nothing to do with my work and hobbies.
My marriage is never going to be great.
If my wife is unresponsive its okay to look elsewhere for what I need.
Its impossible to relate to my wife.
Little sins are okay – everyone does them.
Church is for wimps. God is not able.”
May be there are other lies you believe that are not included in this list. How about the lies young people believe? It is cool to be a rebel, quit school; it is for wimps, Pre marital sex is great; every one is doing, it better prepares you for marriage, For boys: if you drive a cool car, girls will fall for you. For girls: if you wear sexy and revealing clothes you become popular. Life is short so enjoy everything now.
Unfortunately even in Christian circles lies are rampant. According to Leigh Demos, “Tune into many religious radio and television broadcasts, listen to many popular Christian mental health professionals, and you will find respected Christian leaders who are deceiving their followers. They promise God’s blessing and grace to people who do not qualify because of their willful disobedience and unrepentant hearts. Through their teaching help people justify:
Anger (“healthy expression of your true feelings”)
Selfishness (“You’ve got to place boundaries between you and demanding people)
Irresponsibility (“you are dysfunctional because you have been deeply wounded by others) and infidelity (“You are free to divorce your mate and marry some one else; God is the God of the Second Chance). At the same time through their teaching, they make the righteous “feel” sad or guilty: For taking personal responsibility (“You are codependent”)
For demonstrating a servant’s heart (“you shouldn’t let others take advantage of you) and for being faithful to their vows (“God doesn’t expect you to stay in that marriage.”)
From the beginning, the enemy has tried to make right look wrong and the wrong look right. How can we encounter the lies of the enemy? Jesus gave a principle to follow in combating the lies that the enemy bring to your mind. John 8:31-32, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It is only by holding on to the teachings of Christ, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free from the bondage of Sin. We looked at the origin, the fall, the names and the nature of the enemy. Knowing our enemy is half the battle.
.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH (Regaining Spiritual Power)
Donna Summer a local neighborhood girl from Dorchester who started her carrier as a gospel singer became the first female artist to have four number-one singles in a thirteen-month period. Summer's website claims that she has sold more than 130 million records worldwide. Listen to the words of one of her popular songs “No more tears (Enough is enough).
“Tell him to just get out
nothing left to talk about
pack his raincoat show him out
just look him in the eyes and simply shout
Enough is enough is enough
I can't go on, I can't go on, no more no
enough is enough is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now
“I Cant’ go on I can’t go on no more no”
Obviously there is a message here from a female lover who was looking for a perfect lover but in the end was badly cheated by him. It was time for her to say “Enough is enough” We often see posters or hear people talking about things going out of control just like in this add “Enough is Enough” But how about the internal trash? Do we say Enough is Enough?
Have you ever felt that you have been trapped in your addiction to alcohol, smoking, drugs, over eating, and wrong relationships? Are you tired of trying to kick certain habits or harmful patterns but you seem powerless? Do you struggle with sin? You feel like you can’t take it anymore may be it’s time for you to take personal responsibility, turn around and say, I am not going to put up with this any more, I am sick and tired of being a defeated Christian. Enough is enough.
I. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:
There are many great qualities in this culture; one of them is the tenacity to fight against odds. There is great resilience and a never say die attitude. How come that on the other hand we see so many powerless when it comes to fighting against certain crippling, and harmful habits?
As a result we have 50% divorce rate in first time marriages, highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, 750,000 teen pregnancies annually. Currently, 3,900 babies die from abortion every day in America - one every 22 seconds. Each year, over 1.4 million infants die from abortion. More than 50 million babies have been killed in America since the Supreme Court's ruling in 1973: more than the total loss of life in every American military conflict. Not to mention forty million smokers. Aren’t these numbers staggering? Why are so many lives being lost? Why so many are living in defeat? Sadly speaking even many born again Christians seem to be living a life of defeat.
What is the cause behind this moral decay in a nation that was presumably founded on Judeo Christian principles? One of the primary reasons I believe is that the arch enemy of God, Satan is having a field day.
The apostle Paul reminds us that there is a war between God’s children and the powers of darkness, a war between good and evil. This is unlike any earthly war; many bible scholars call this “Spiritual warfare” in order to be victorious in this war we need to develop an attitude that says “Enough is Enough to Sin” and learn how to regain our spiritual authority to take a stand against Satan, the deceiver. Some of us are so deceived that we can’t even recognize that we are in bondage. The Bible says every one who sins is a slave to Sin. (John 8:34) I would like to share some principles which will help you to stand your ground and experience true freedom.
We must look at our struggles in a broader context. Recognizing that we are in a Spiritual warfare puts some of our battles in right perspective. What is the nature of Spiritual warfare? Who is our enemy? What is the nature of the enemy? What are the enemy’s battle grounds? Who is our God? What are the weapons of warfare? How are we to fight our enemy? How to lead a victorious Christian life? There is lot learn so let’s get started.
II. SPIRITUAL WARFARE
In ancient Greece wrestling was a popular sport. The readers of his time were familiar with wrestling. Paul uses this analogy to explain the nature of Spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:12 “for our (struggle) in KJV it is “for we “wrestle” not against flesh and blood” but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Is it possible for a born again Christian to be attacked by evil forces? Have you wondered why you are struggling with sin even though you are saved? Has it been hard for you to quit a certain harmful habit? Are you living in defeat? Do you lack spiritual power? Do you want to be free? Whether you realize it or not, every child of God is involved in a Spiritual War. Paul recognizes that he was waging a war with in himself, Romans 7:23 “but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” If Paul was not exempted from fighting a war do you think you and I will be exempted?
Spiritual warfare is between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. When you made a conscious decision to follow Jesus you brought much joy to God and the angels but upset Satan and his evil forces. He will do any and every thing possible to hinder you from growing spiritually.
Spiritual warfare is constant. It is fought twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. There is no room to be complacent. When we talk about Spiritual warfare there are two extremes. One is the under emphasis and the other one is the over emphasis. What do I mean by that?
Those on the under emphasis side would say in this modern time and age there are no demons, it is just a myth, it’s all your imagination, and they completely ignore the fact that the demons exist and they are real. Others on the over emphasis side see demons everywhere. They give too much publicity to demons; they attribute every thing to demonic activity. They are demon chasers.
We must avoid either of these extremes and develop a balanced outlook on this subject. “The man who fears God will avoid all extremes” (Ecc 7:18). I personally do not think that the enemy is the cause for all the problems, and struggles we face. Some problems we face because of our wrong choices, harmful habit patterns and irresponsible lifestyle, for example, smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and immorality no one forces any one to do all that, it is a choice we make.
The enemy can tempt us to sin but can not make us sin. In James 1:14-15, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” However I can not rule out the fact that certain hardships and heartaches we face are beyond us. We suffer because of other’s actions (i.e. child incest, robbery, loss of a loved one due to gun violence, some one opens up fire and kills innocent people etc). We had no control over those circumstances but we face the brunt any way. What logical explanation can you give to such heinous acts some people commit? Could it be that they are controlled by the Devil?
In Timothy 2: 26 we read about certain people who “are trapped by the enemy, they were taken captive by the Devil to do his will.” Unfortunately born again believers can also be deceived by the enemy if they are not watchful and if they don’t stay in close relationship with God through prayer, reading His Word and in right relationship with other believers. We need to know who our real enemy is.
III. WHO IS OUR REAL ENEMY?
No science fiction movie comes close to describing the conflict raging around us in the spiritual world. The forces of God and of his enemy Satan are locked in battle over the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. A young American was trying to explain to a Kiwi woman in Papua New Guinea about the unseen forces of good and evil. When asked if she understood, she said, Oh yes, there were three (demons) in my house this morning.
Here, I drew pictures of them. She handed the astonished American a paper with hideous half-human, half-animal beings sketched on it. We don’t have to convince most people in Asia, Africa and the Pacific of the reality of the spirit world. Some live with it on a daily basis often seeing the evil spirits with the naked eye.
By contrast, most people in Western countries place demons in a fantasy category, like Superman, Harry Potter and the Hobbit. This is a dangerous view because demons are not make-believe. You don’t have to go to Asia or watch movies to understand the spirit world. The demonic realm is just as substantial as the world we see. It is existed before the material world and continues to exist today. The Bible is clear in exposing and explaining the spirit world.
Paul writes to the Ephesians believers explaining that they were not fighting against people, in other words people are not our enemies. He goes on to say in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
This indicates that when we fight against people we are fighting a wrong battle because they are not our real enemies; our real enemy however is as the Bible says Satan, or the Devil. Although we usually can not see these forces with our physical eyes, they should be no doubt in our minds that they exist. The Bible describes Satan as an angelic being who was thrown from heaven because he tried to exalt himself above God (Isaiah 14:12-15). He’s now fighting for control of the world and the souls of humans. The Bible calls him the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Ephesians 2:2 “in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Satan can not have power over God’s children unless it is given to him like in the case of Job or through our sheer disobedience to the revealed truth. So how are we to face this enemy?
IV. STANDING YOUR GROUND:
In the OT the children of Israel were in constant war. Under God’s direction they won many battles and enjoyed great victories. We are familiar with the great warriors of the Bible like, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David, and Samson who fought valiant battles. But have you heard about Shammah, who perhaps was one of the most seemingly insignificant characters yet brought great victory for Israel? 2 Samuel 23:11-12, “When the philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.” Instead of running away just like the others Shammah, showed a different spirit. He had the courage to say” Enough is Enough. He took his stand against the enemy; and God gave him the strength to defeat the enemy. When you are being pushed around by the enemy the best way to fight him is to turn around and take your stand. In other words don’t run away, stand your ground.
As the saying goes: half the battle is won by recognizing our enemy! We have only just started there is much more to learn on this subject. What have we recognized so far?
* We are made more than conquerors with Christ.
* People are not our real enemies.
* We have a real enemy to fight; his name is Satan. We have a war to win.
* Spiritual warfare is constant, so let’s be vigilant
* We avoid the extremes of over emphasis and under emphasis in Spiritual Warfare
* We have to regain our spiritual power.
* We have to learn to say “Enough is enough” and take our stand against sin and Satan.
“Tell him to just get out
nothing left to talk about
pack his raincoat show him out
just look him in the eyes and simply shout
Enough is enough is enough
I can't go on, I can't go on, no more no
enough is enough is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now
“I Cant’ go on I can’t go on no more no”
Obviously there is a message here from a female lover who was looking for a perfect lover but in the end was badly cheated by him. It was time for her to say “Enough is enough” We often see posters or hear people talking about things going out of control just like in this add “Enough is Enough” But how about the internal trash? Do we say Enough is Enough?
Have you ever felt that you have been trapped in your addiction to alcohol, smoking, drugs, over eating, and wrong relationships? Are you tired of trying to kick certain habits or harmful patterns but you seem powerless? Do you struggle with sin? You feel like you can’t take it anymore may be it’s time for you to take personal responsibility, turn around and say, I am not going to put up with this any more, I am sick and tired of being a defeated Christian. Enough is enough.
I. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:
There are many great qualities in this culture; one of them is the tenacity to fight against odds. There is great resilience and a never say die attitude. How come that on the other hand we see so many powerless when it comes to fighting against certain crippling, and harmful habits?
As a result we have 50% divorce rate in first time marriages, highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, 750,000 teen pregnancies annually. Currently, 3,900 babies die from abortion every day in America - one every 22 seconds. Each year, over 1.4 million infants die from abortion. More than 50 million babies have been killed in America since the Supreme Court's ruling in 1973: more than the total loss of life in every American military conflict. Not to mention forty million smokers. Aren’t these numbers staggering? Why are so many lives being lost? Why so many are living in defeat? Sadly speaking even many born again Christians seem to be living a life of defeat.
What is the cause behind this moral decay in a nation that was presumably founded on Judeo Christian principles? One of the primary reasons I believe is that the arch enemy of God, Satan is having a field day.
The apostle Paul reminds us that there is a war between God’s children and the powers of darkness, a war between good and evil. This is unlike any earthly war; many bible scholars call this “Spiritual warfare” in order to be victorious in this war we need to develop an attitude that says “Enough is Enough to Sin” and learn how to regain our spiritual authority to take a stand against Satan, the deceiver. Some of us are so deceived that we can’t even recognize that we are in bondage. The Bible says every one who sins is a slave to Sin. (John 8:34) I would like to share some principles which will help you to stand your ground and experience true freedom.
We must look at our struggles in a broader context. Recognizing that we are in a Spiritual warfare puts some of our battles in right perspective. What is the nature of Spiritual warfare? Who is our enemy? What is the nature of the enemy? What are the enemy’s battle grounds? Who is our God? What are the weapons of warfare? How are we to fight our enemy? How to lead a victorious Christian life? There is lot learn so let’s get started.
II. SPIRITUAL WARFARE
In ancient Greece wrestling was a popular sport. The readers of his time were familiar with wrestling. Paul uses this analogy to explain the nature of Spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:12 “for our (struggle) in KJV it is “for we “wrestle” not against flesh and blood” but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Is it possible for a born again Christian to be attacked by evil forces? Have you wondered why you are struggling with sin even though you are saved? Has it been hard for you to quit a certain harmful habit? Are you living in defeat? Do you lack spiritual power? Do you want to be free? Whether you realize it or not, every child of God is involved in a Spiritual War. Paul recognizes that he was waging a war with in himself, Romans 7:23 “but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” If Paul was not exempted from fighting a war do you think you and I will be exempted?
Spiritual warfare is between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. When you made a conscious decision to follow Jesus you brought much joy to God and the angels but upset Satan and his evil forces. He will do any and every thing possible to hinder you from growing spiritually.
Spiritual warfare is constant. It is fought twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. There is no room to be complacent. When we talk about Spiritual warfare there are two extremes. One is the under emphasis and the other one is the over emphasis. What do I mean by that?
Those on the under emphasis side would say in this modern time and age there are no demons, it is just a myth, it’s all your imagination, and they completely ignore the fact that the demons exist and they are real. Others on the over emphasis side see demons everywhere. They give too much publicity to demons; they attribute every thing to demonic activity. They are demon chasers.
We must avoid either of these extremes and develop a balanced outlook on this subject. “The man who fears God will avoid all extremes” (Ecc 7:18). I personally do not think that the enemy is the cause for all the problems, and struggles we face. Some problems we face because of our wrong choices, harmful habit patterns and irresponsible lifestyle, for example, smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and immorality no one forces any one to do all that, it is a choice we make.
The enemy can tempt us to sin but can not make us sin. In James 1:14-15, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” However I can not rule out the fact that certain hardships and heartaches we face are beyond us. We suffer because of other’s actions (i.e. child incest, robbery, loss of a loved one due to gun violence, some one opens up fire and kills innocent people etc). We had no control over those circumstances but we face the brunt any way. What logical explanation can you give to such heinous acts some people commit? Could it be that they are controlled by the Devil?
In Timothy 2: 26 we read about certain people who “are trapped by the enemy, they were taken captive by the Devil to do his will.” Unfortunately born again believers can also be deceived by the enemy if they are not watchful and if they don’t stay in close relationship with God through prayer, reading His Word and in right relationship with other believers. We need to know who our real enemy is.
III. WHO IS OUR REAL ENEMY?
No science fiction movie comes close to describing the conflict raging around us in the spiritual world. The forces of God and of his enemy Satan are locked in battle over the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. A young American was trying to explain to a Kiwi woman in Papua New Guinea about the unseen forces of good and evil. When asked if she understood, she said, Oh yes, there were three (demons) in my house this morning.
Here, I drew pictures of them. She handed the astonished American a paper with hideous half-human, half-animal beings sketched on it. We don’t have to convince most people in Asia, Africa and the Pacific of the reality of the spirit world. Some live with it on a daily basis often seeing the evil spirits with the naked eye.
By contrast, most people in Western countries place demons in a fantasy category, like Superman, Harry Potter and the Hobbit. This is a dangerous view because demons are not make-believe. You don’t have to go to Asia or watch movies to understand the spirit world. The demonic realm is just as substantial as the world we see. It is existed before the material world and continues to exist today. The Bible is clear in exposing and explaining the spirit world.
Paul writes to the Ephesians believers explaining that they were not fighting against people, in other words people are not our enemies. He goes on to say in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
This indicates that when we fight against people we are fighting a wrong battle because they are not our real enemies; our real enemy however is as the Bible says Satan, or the Devil. Although we usually can not see these forces with our physical eyes, they should be no doubt in our minds that they exist. The Bible describes Satan as an angelic being who was thrown from heaven because he tried to exalt himself above God (Isaiah 14:12-15). He’s now fighting for control of the world and the souls of humans. The Bible calls him the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Ephesians 2:2 “in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Satan can not have power over God’s children unless it is given to him like in the case of Job or through our sheer disobedience to the revealed truth. So how are we to face this enemy?
IV. STANDING YOUR GROUND:
In the OT the children of Israel were in constant war. Under God’s direction they won many battles and enjoyed great victories. We are familiar with the great warriors of the Bible like, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David, and Samson who fought valiant battles. But have you heard about Shammah, who perhaps was one of the most seemingly insignificant characters yet brought great victory for Israel? 2 Samuel 23:11-12, “When the philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.” Instead of running away just like the others Shammah, showed a different spirit. He had the courage to say” Enough is Enough. He took his stand against the enemy; and God gave him the strength to defeat the enemy. When you are being pushed around by the enemy the best way to fight him is to turn around and take your stand. In other words don’t run away, stand your ground.
As the saying goes: half the battle is won by recognizing our enemy! We have only just started there is much more to learn on this subject. What have we recognized so far?
* We are made more than conquerors with Christ.
* People are not our real enemies.
* We have a real enemy to fight; his name is Satan. We have a war to win.
* Spiritual warfare is constant, so let’s be vigilant
* We avoid the extremes of over emphasis and under emphasis in Spiritual Warfare
* We have to regain our spiritual power.
* We have to learn to say “Enough is enough” and take our stand against sin and Satan.
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